2008 Distinguished Executive
2008 Distinguished Executive David M. McDonough, President & CEO, The Trustmark Companies.
David M. McDonough, President & CEO of The Trustmark Companies, Named 2008 Distinguished Executive
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Marking the 30th anniversary of its prestigious Distinguished Executive Award, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management has named Trustmark Companies President & CEO David McDonough as its Distinguished Executive for 2008.
Presented annually since 1978, the Distinguished Executive Award honors business leaders who consistently demonstrate world-class leadership, unwavering professional ethics, excellence in business acumen, and commitment to volunteerism. Recipients stand out as role models for the School’s students and alumni, and the wider business community LFGSM serves.
McDonough’s business acumen and commitment to continuous personal and professional improvement have served him well throughout his career. During his tenure as President and CEO of The Trustmark Companies, McDonough has led his organization to increasing success, leveraging its reputation as a leader in customer-focused health insurance and benefits administration. Through a strategy of both organic growth and new acquisitions, McDonough is guiding Trustmark to the next level - expanding its core insurance capabilities through innovation, continuous learning and new service offerings.
McDonough accepted the Distinguished Executive Award during the LFGSM Commencement Ceremonies on June 29, 2008. In his address to the graduating class, McDonough demonstrated not only his professionalism and wisdom, but also his characteristic humor and humility. “Perhaps I am distinguished by having made, and survived, a lot more mistakes than most of you have,” he said. He went on to teach a profound lesson: “Wisdom occurs when experience informs intellect.” McDonough stressed the importance of assuming educated risks, admitting one’s mistakes, and learning from them. After sharing the importance of higher education in his own life, he urged the graduates, “Don’t stop investing in yourselves. This is a commencement, not a conclusion.”
McDonough has been a member of the LFGSM Board of Directors since 2005. In this capacity, he has combined his business experience with his passion for education - volunteering his time and talents to support the School’s mission of helping experienced business professionals make greater contributions and rise higher in their careers. “We’re delighted to honor David McDonough as our 2008 Distinguished Executive,” said LFGSM President and CEO John Popoli. “I’ve come to know him as a visionary whose sincere passion for learning inspires others to transform themselves, both personally and professionally, through life-long learning.”
McDonough has more than 30 years experience in the areas of insurance, banking, marketing and strategic planning. He has been with the Trustmark Companies since 2002, and was named its President and CEO in 2005. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and COO of Fortis Health, and had served as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Providian Corporation. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of The Trustmark Companies, the Illinois Life Insurance Council, and LFGSM. From 1999 to 2002, he served on the Board of the Milwaukee Redevelopment Council.
McDonough holds a BS, Business Administration, from CentralConnecticutStateUniversity; an MA, Economics, from TrinityCollege (Hartford, Connecticut); and an MSBA, Management Science, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.